PETROS MAVROS

Fractional Executive Chef

Culinary Leadership for Hotels and Restaurants

Running a hospitality business means making decisions about food, people and money every day. A menu change affects purchasing. Purchasing affects stock and cash. The way your team prepares and serves the food affects costs, consistency and whether customers return.

As your Fractional Executive Chef, I work regularly with you and your team across these areas. You gain experienced culinary and operational leadership, with a level of involvement and monthly fee agreed around your business.

We start by understanding the operation. Then we agree on priorities, responsibilities and timelines. Progress is written down, reviewed and followed through.

Your menu needs to appeal to customers, earn its place financially and work with the kitchen you have.

I develop and improve menus around your business, customers, suppliers, equipment and team. We examine which dishes sell, what they cost, how much preparation they require and whether they slow down service.

Recipes, portions, preparation methods and presentation standards give the team a clear reference. You should be able to serve a dish consistently whichever cook is preparing it.

A busy restaurant should know what it earns from the food it sells.

I work through ingredient prices, recipe quantities, usable yields, portions and selling prices. We look at sales patterns alongside dish costs to understand which items contribute to the business and which need attention.

This gives us a basis for decisions about pricing, purchasing, recipes and menu changes. The costing records also need to stay current as supplier prices and dishes change.

Kitchen Organisation and Food Safety

An organised kitchen makes better use of its food, time and people.

I review receiving, storage, preparation, production, service and cleaning. We establish practical routines, clear responsibilities and the records needed to manage hygiene, food safety and allergens.

That can include production plans, cleaning schedules, temperature checks, recipe files and opening and closing procedures. These systems need to be understood and used during the working day.

Purchasing, Stock Control and Waste Reduction

Too much stock ties up money and makes it harder to see what needs using.

I review ordering quantities, supplier choices, storage, stock rotation and production volumes. Purchasing should reflect bookings, sales and the food already in the building.

We also examine where waste occurs: overproduction, poor storage, preparation losses, inconsistent portions or dishes customers leave unfinished. Understanding the cause lets us make a useful change.

Staff Recruitment, Training and Development

Hospitality depends on people. Your team needs clear expectations, fair treatment and someone who takes the time to help them improve.

When recruiting, I look closely at attitude and aptitude alongside experience. Will this person listen, learn, take responsibility and work with others? Can they develop into the role your business needs?

Training is built around the work: cooking techniques, recipe execution, organisation, portion control, food safety and managing service. I also help chefs develop the confidence and judgement to lead their own teams.

The owner’s involvement matters. Training achieves more when management supports the standards and applies them consistently.

Support for Owners and New Hospitality Businesses

Entering hospitality can mean committing substantial money to an operation you are still learning to understand.

I help owners work through menus, kitchen requirements, equipment proposals, staffing and operating assumptions before decisions become expensive to change. For established businesses, I provide an experienced view when performance is disappointing or a change in direction is being considered.

You have someone to discuss the practical implications with, ask questions and help you judge the advice you receive.

Clear Priorities and Regular Follow-through

The work begins with an assessment of your operation and an agreed plan.

We establish what needs doing, who is responsible and when it should be completed. Through regular visits, communication and written progress reviews, we check whether the changes are being put into practice and producing the intended result.

The scope and schedule are agreed around your business, giving you a clear understanding of my involvement and the monthly fee.

Let’s Talk About Your Business

Tell me about your operation, what you want to achieve and where you need support. We can then establish how a Fractional Executive Chef arrangement would work for you.

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